ABSTRACT
While the history of the Rafael Guastavino Company has been documented and studied to great length, the limited published research that is focused on the construction materials and assembly methods indicates that vaults were erected with minimal or no form-work, using tiles in combination with only gypsum mortar and Portland cement mortar. Physical evidence collected from a series of Guastavino vaults documented in this paper tells a much more nuanced story. It illustrates that the Guastavino Company significantly altered assembly methods, corresponding formwork, and adjusted binder materials as needed, based on the requirements of the individual project or even individual vault. This research presents a series of case studies and documents the mortars and types of formwork that were used in their construction
